Document Type : Research Paper
Abstract
The water content of natural gas is one of the main concerns facing the gas processing industries. This leads to hydrate formation, obstructions, and flow problems, all of which corrode the transmission pipeline and processing plant. This research examined the design and performance analysis of an absorber, a key component of the natural gas triethylene glycol (TEG) dehydration plant, with the regenerator as the other unit. This was done in an effort to lessen or stop the aforementioned problems because natural gas is a cheap and clean energy source that is used both domestically and industrially. In a dehydration plant, the absorber is set up to guarantee that the water content of gas is adequately and successfully eliminated to satisfy the requirements for pipeline transmission. Aspen HYSYS Version 12 was used to model the absorber design or specification under natural gas feed conditions. The absorber design specification was determined to be 7.00 m for column height, 1.50 m for diameter, 1.77 m2 for area, and 12.38 m3 for volume, using the conservation law of mass and energy. The absorber design or specification is appropriate for the best dehydration of natural gas with feed pressure, temperature, and flow rate of 6205.28 kPa, 29.440 °C, and 768.63 kg/s, respectively, according to the analysis of the mass or composition and energy balance of the dehydration process. This study found a direct correlation between the size specification, absorber performance efficiency, and natural gas input condition. The developed models provide valuable insights and resources for absorber design and optimization of similar units in gas processing facilities, enhancing their performance and operational efficiency.
